What was once a little known video contest for PhD students to explain their research through dance has blown up into a full-scale online dance film fest. Dance Your PhD makes science accessible and understandable to everyone, communicating complex ideas, without watering it down or shutting the rest of us out. Lauren chats with Choreographer/Bioengineer Christopher Knowlton about how he’s combined his two worlds to create a dance film about knee replacement for the Dance Your PhD contest.

Undoubtedly, the most exciting moment of the evening was Ms. Sexton and Mr. Mizrahi recognizing the ensemble members of Paradigm with a Bessie for “(bringing) into vibrant focus the essence of what it means to dance.” Honored were Artistic Director Gus Solomons Jr. (who called for the tripling of the size of the Bessie committee, to be able to include more works in the selection process!), Carmen deLavallade, Dudley Williams, Valda Setterfield, Michael Blake, Hope Clark, and Keith Sabado.

Experience and exposure in a variety of dance styles is important for creating versatile dancers and may even be a necessity for aspiring professionals. Being well-rounded in dance is a good thing. Exposure to different dance forms, starting at a young age, is a great thing. So where’s the myth? It lies in the misplaced emphasis on experience and omission of training.

I knew also that she was employed as a dance teacher in Scotland, doing a job very much the same yet also very different from that of many dance instructors. She will tell you more about this work in her own words but I feel it speaks to the affect dance and movement can have on the soul and on a group of people. Occasionally, I like to step away from the technical, instructional, business, and material side of dance to remind myself and those reading of the unifying and universal power of dance. As Camille will reiterate, I hope this reminder will encourage those of us who hold keys to find their own unique ways of unlocking this potential in dance.

In 2004, Houston Dance Critic Molly Glentzer in her review of the book for Dance Magazine stated, “Li’s tenacity is an inspiring lesson to any reader, dancer or not. It’s the stuff of which great movies are made. Expect this one soon, and bring Kleenex. But read the book first.” A handful of years later, Li’s story is now a motion picture. It has already done well in Australia but unfortunately distribution in the U.S. is still speculative.

Some people collect stamps, others collect toys, Tammy Stanwood apparently collects ballet exercises. It’s a good practice actually for teachers and students to record dance combinations for later use.

Sadler’s Wells, a top venue for dance in London, created a contest to search for new talent to perform live on stage. A team of judges has selected their favorite 10 videos from all the entries received and who wins is up to you! Vote for your favorite clip now by following the link below! You can take a look at all the entries received here. The prize for the Global Dance Contest 2009 is an expenses paid trip to {Read More}

It is a very short list of tap teachers that teach tap in way that embeds it in the heart and soul and fosters a love for the art form at a profound level. Ballet teachers like that? Much easier to come by. Lyrical? Contemporary? Jazz? They’re a dime a dozen these days – teaching classes that are emotionally charged and full of gripping content that draws those elusive adolescents in and keeps their attention.

Dance classes (and the experience of your students) can be enhanced with the use of props. This article lists products, links, and tips for various classroom aids, plus links and suggestions for homemade props.

Richard Maddock is an accomplished musician as well as a seasoned dance class and exam accompanist. He has graciously offered five of his CD’s for review here. To top it off, he agreed to donate nine CD’s to give away to nine lucky Dance Advantage readers!

Who is Nichelle?

Nichelle Suzanne began Dance Advantage in 2008, equipped with a passion for movement education and an intuitive sense that a blog could bring dancers together. Nichelle holds a BA in dance and is an instructor with more than 17 years experience. She covers dance performance in the Houston area as a freelance writer and balances daily life as a mom to two young children. In June 2012, Nichelle presented the whats, hows, and whys of blogging on a panel at the annual conference for Dance/USA, the national service organization for professional dance, to better equip artists and companies for engaging their audience and new readers through online communications and content. Read More…